This is probably the most beautiful route up Kilimanjaro.
All your equipment and supplies are portered and a cook
prepares all your meals. Where accommodation on the
Marangu route is in huts, the Machame route offers
strictly tents only. This makes Machame (also referred to
as the "Whiskey route") better suited to the slightly more
adventurous hiker, rewarding him with a scenic splendor
such as not seen on the Marangu route. From late afternoon
sunsets at Shira, to the misty revelations of Kibo at the
great Barranco Wall, the Machame route offers the
adventurous hiker a stunning scenic "slide show" over 6
days. The Machame route is normally completed in a minimum
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There is an added benefit to this, as you are afforded the
most valuable commodity on the mountain - acclimatisation.
The Machame route takes you high to Lava Tower (4630m) on
the day 3 and brings you down by nearly 700m for an
overnight at Barranco camp (3950m). This is the secret to
successful acclimatisation.

6 day Itinerary for the Machame
route:
The Machame route can also be completed in 5 days. On day
3 on the itinerary below, you go directly to Kibo with an
overnight at the Arrow Glacier camp, with your final
summating attempt on day 4. An extremely physically and
mentally demanding option, not recommended for the average
climber.

Day 1: Arrival - Arusha
On arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, met and assisted.
Transfer to Ilboru Safari Lodge or Jacaranda Hotel for an
overnight rest on bed and breakfast in readiness for the
next day's hit to Kilimanjaro.

Day 2: Machame Gate (1490m) -
Machame camp (2980m
Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: About 18 km's | Habitat:
Montane forest
Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by
breakfast and a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) to the
Machame village (1490m). The guides and porters prepare
and pack the supplies and your equipment in the village.
You will receive a lunch pack and you can also buy mineral
water in the village. Depending on the condition of the
road, it is possible to drive from the village to the
Machame gate, but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take
about 1 hour to complete. After registering at the gate
office, you start your ascent and enter the rain forest
almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain
in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very
soggy, muddy and slippery experience. You will have a
welcome lunch stop about half way and will reach the
Machame camping area in the late afternoon.

Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you)
will have erected your tent on your arrival. In the
evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water
and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to
your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already
drop to freezing point at this campsite, B,L,D.

Day 3: Machame camp (2980m) -
Shira camp (3840m)
Hiking time: 6 hours | Distance: About 9 km's | Habitat:
Moorland
You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast you
climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for
2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone.
After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky
ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to
see in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its
stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after
a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3 840m.
The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before
serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even
be colder than the previous night, with temperatures
dropping to well below freezing, B,L,D.

Day 4: Shira (3840m) - Lava Tower
(4630m)-Barranco camp (3950m)
Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: About 15 km's | Habitat:
Semi desert
The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky
landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an
altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is
served in a designated area before ascending the rocky
scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely, the toughest
day so far. It is normally around this point, where for
the first time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms
of breathlessness, irritability and headaches. After lunch
you descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping
area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava
Tower, the true acclimatisation benefit of this day
becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2
hours and offers great opportunities to take some
beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach
Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach
and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a
memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of
your dinner, B,L,D.

Day 5: Barranco camp (3950m) -
Barafu camp (4550m)
Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: About 13 km's | Habitat:
Alpine desert
After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very
imposing sight at first), you make your way up this
awesome looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns
out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out just
below the Heim Glacier, you now appreciate just how
beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down
through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and
valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is
the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it.
Turn left up the ridge and after another hour or so, you
reach Barafu Hut.

The last water stop on the route is the Karranga Valley,
as there is no water at Barafu camp. Barafu is the Swahili
word for "ice" and it is a bleak and inhospitable camping
area to spend the night. Totally exposed to the
ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow,
stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarise
yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any
accidents. The summit is now a further 1345m up and you
will make the final ascent the same night. Prepare your
equipment, ski stick and thermal clothing for your summit
attempt. This should include the replacement of your
headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a
spare set available as well. To prevent freezing it will
be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed
at round about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and
sleep, B,L,D.

Day 6: SUMMIT ATTEMPT, Barafu
camp (4550m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m)-Mweka (3100m)
Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak | 7/8 hours to
descend to Mweka | Distance: About 7 km's ascent - 23 km's
descent | Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
You will rise around 23h30, and after some tea and
biscuits you shuffle off into the night. You will head in
a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree
towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk
to Stella point is for many climbers, mentally and
physically the most challenging on the route. At Stella
Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be
rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever
likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point you
will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour
ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the
summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop
here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to
start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your
accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your
life. The walk back to Barafu from the summit, takes about
3 hours. Here you will have a well earned but short rest
and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to
Mweka hut (3100m). The route is not difficult and will
take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland
and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in
the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the
late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared,
B,L,D.

Day 7: Mweka camp (3100m) - Mweka
Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3 hours | Distance: About 15 km's | Habitat:
Forest
After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short
3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. At Mweka
gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is
also where successful climbers receive their summit
certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point
(5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who
reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From
the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka
village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. In the Mweka
village you will be served a delicious hot lunch!! You now
drive back to Arusha for a long over due hot shower,
dinner and celebrations!! Overnight at
Ilboru Safari Lodge or Jacaranda Hotel,
B,L,D.

Day 8: Departure
Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight back home
or continue with your safari schedule. End of services. B

Tour price includes:
-Transfer to and from the base of the mountain
-Machame Route trek as itinerary depicts
-Full board accommodation in tents whilst on the trek.
-Meal plan as detailed: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner
-Accommodations at or Ilboru Safari Lodge or Jacaranda
Hotel for 2 nights and huts on the mountain as per the
itinerary
-All park entrance fees to include government taxes
-Service of an English speaking professional Mountain guide on
the mountain, porters and skilled cook/s
-All services begin and end at Kilimanjaro Airport as per the
itinerary
-Treated water on the trek
-Return airport transfers from/to Kilimanjaro Airport

Excluded:
-Tips, laundry, sleeping bags, drinks and climbing gears
-Medical evacuation, USD 30 per person value
-International flights and taxes
-Visas
-Items of a personal nature and any other extras not detailed
in the above itinerary.